‘Failure Analysis’ Logs More Reflecting Pool Damage Than First Thought: Report

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The much-maligned liner on the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool failed in at least 85 spots after a rushed bid to refill the pool before blue substance was actually dry.

A 75-page “failure analysis” uncovered by The Washington Post by the company that did the work, Atlantic Coating Inspection, also found the wrong materials had been used in the work.

President Donald Trump’s administration wanted the project done in time for the July 4th holiday, during which the nation was marking its 250th anniversary but the decision to speed through the renovation proved key to its failure, the report found.

The liner, which was painted on, needed 72 hours to properly “cure” but was still being painted on by workers the day before the pool was refilled, according to WashPo, which said the number of spots in which the liner failed was not previously reported.

The outlet noted:

The extensive failures at the pool occurred after Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings (AIC) completed the $14.7 million renovation under a no-bid contract awarded by the Trump administration this spring. The administration justified skipping competitive bidding by asserting in an Interior Department memo that “only a limited pool of contractors possess the qualification and equipment” necessary for the job.

The contractor offered a repair plan in its own report to the federal government later in August, summarizing the failures found by the inspection. In its Aug. 14 report, AIC described the majority of the failures as “cosmetic” but noted that others were “systemic.” The cost of the needed repairs, which the company has said it would cover under its warranty, was not included in its report.

The Department of the Interior told The Washington Post that the company “is contractually obligated to fix the Reflecting Pool” and is “well on its way to doing so.”

But the spokesperson then apparently referenced Trump’s claims the reflecting pool was damaged by mischief makers — not poorly done work:

The spokesperson said the contractor will ensure the “the work is perfect” and will replace “sections of damage by vandals” who repeatedly “ripped at the coating.”

Atlantic Coating didn’t respond to WashPo’s request for comment, while a White House spokesperson told the outlet in a statement the reflecting pool had been “neglected” and the repairs are “another example of President Trump restoring our nation’s capital for the American people.”

The Department of the Interior issued a lengthy statement to Mediaite:

As President Trump has noted, the Reflecting Pool will soon be opened in a condition better than ever before in its 100+ year history. The pool’s water valves, which were falling apart, are now being replaced. The pipes, which were clogged, have been flushed clean. The pool, which leaked like a sieve, is sealed. The sidewalks, which had filth and grime, have been pressure washed. The granite coping stone, which was gray and discolored, is now shiny white. The water treatment system, which was clearly ineffective, has now been replaced with a state-of-the-art nanobubbler system.

Like any major construction project – and in this case, the world’s largest reflecting pool which was worked on in record time for the 250th celebrations – there are always parts of a project where a contractor returns to make sure the work is perfect. And in this case, with the major vandalism of long razor-blade gashes, the contractor is also replacing the sections of the pool damaged by vandals, who also repeatedly reached into the pool and ripped at the coating.

Let’s be clear, if Obama hadn’t failed so epically years ago, the Reflecting Pool would not have been in such dire straits to begin with. Just like so many things, this administration is cleaning up Obama’s and Biden’s mess.

AIC is contractually obligated to fix the Reflecting Pool. As good stewards of taxpayer money, unlike Obama, it would be wasteful to bring in a new company to finish the job that another company is contractually obligated to remedy and is well on its way to doing so.

Prior to August 14, the pool was partially filled to flush the clogged and disgusting pipes, which resulted in debris and filth being deposited into the pool. After the pool was drained, the NPS team pressure washed the pool to get rid of the gunk.

Trump has insisted vandals wrecked the reflecting pool despite no evidence for the claim.

Olympian canoeist David Hearn was arrested over the summer and accused of vandalizing the iconic space but Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, dropped the case in July.

Pirro’s office said the case was dropped after the damage was found to be caused by a botched installation.

But Trump has refused to acknowledge the information and accused Pirro of folding “like an umbrella.”

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